What does the underlined modal show in the sentence below?
Every summer, when we stayed at our uncle’s farm in Punjab, we would swim in the canal behind his house.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → a past habit
“Every summer” is the clue. It shows that the swimming was repeated each year.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) a polite request | asks someone to do something; this sentence does not ask anyone | Would you please shut the door? |
| (2) a past habit (answer) | would shows something that happened again and again in the past | In the monsoon, Dadi would make pakoras every evening. |
| (3) willingness | agreeing or refusing to do something (“would not” for a refusal); the sentence shows neither | I asked him many times, but he would not lend me his bike. |
| (4) an imagined result | needs an “if” about an unreal situation; here the swimming really happened | If I had more time, I would learn the sitar. |